Alex Rider 7: Picasso
by MaStEr-WoLfIe
Summary: Well...the authors own version of Alex Rider book seven...not as good as Horowitz would make it...but then, he's a pro...what happens after Rider is shot basically.
1. The Sniper

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, I do not own any books of the Alex Rider series.

Book 6 of the Alex Rider series is supposed to be a prequel. Since Mr. Horowitz writes only one book per year, we don't get to know what happens to him after he is shot until 2006. The entire series is also supposed to end once Alex turns 15. Personally, I couldn't wait that long.

The voice over the phone was ominous, and the sniper felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"If we are satisfied with the results of the job, you will receive your second payment."

"I shot the boy. I saw him go down. I just want my money." Stuttered the sniper nervously.

"I'm sure you did…but a little wait won't hurt you. You have worked with us before, we will not cheat you. You will get the money as soon as the boy is decomposing in the ground."

There was a click, and then, the monotonous tone of the phone echoed in the sniper's ears. The hairs on his scalp prickled again. The sniper was not inexperienced, but he couldn't figure out WHY this particular assignment was giving him the chills.


	2. Eric Ledel

The bullet had hit the boy in the ribs right below his heart. He was in the ICU, and at critical, but he was lucky, he would live. He was registered under the name of Eric Ledel, 15 years old, the innocent victim in a bank robbery. Moments earlier, the head doctor, Samuel Eckington had been approached by some important-looking men in suits. Dr. Eckington and the men had "talked". The man who looked as though he was made from gray wax had simply "showed" the doctor something under his jacket, and a considerably pale Dr. Eckington had quickly changed some notes in his computer.

Eric Ledel was in a private room heavily guarded by security personnel in case the alleged robber was in a mafia or had accomplices, and Alex Rider, was dead, lying stiff in the morgue from a fatal bullet wound, about to be cremated, his only mourners Jack, some MI6 agents, and his friend Tom. Or at least that was the story that Mrs. Jones was telling the outraged, Alex Rider. Unable to talk, with an oxygen mask over his face, Alex was only able to express his feelings by showing Alan Blunt the Finger. Blunt's face remained emotionless, and the look of sympathy on the face of Mrs. Jones temporarily disappeared as the corner of her mouth twitched.

"You were very, very lucky Alex," droned Alan Blunt, "Another 4 centimeters up and you would have died. "

"However," continued Mrs. Jones, "SCORPIA is still after you, and we get the idea that they won't rest until you're dead. Even after that, any…abnormal activities…would be carefully monitored by them."

Mrs. Jones paused, unwrapping another mint and popped it into her mouth. Catching Alex's look of extreme frustration, she summoned the nurse who left and appeared moments later with a whiteboard and a marker, which Alex ignored.

"Your death, Alex, has been carefully arranged. We were able to…don't get too mad at this Alex, it's for your life…umm …acquire some of John Rider's ashes…they were altered to look like yours…" Mrs. Jones paused, examining Alex, who didn't seem to show anymore anger, but rather slumped down in his bed, defeated.

"Alex, for now you are to assume the identity of Eric Ledel. We have assigned two elderly agents to act as your grandparents. Mabel, and Stuart Ledel. The details of this identity are in this file," she handed him a manila envelope," You can read them when you feel better, I guess."

Blunt and Jones got up to leave. Alex turned away. At the doorway, Mrs. Jones paused.

"Alex?" she murmured. Alex turned and looked into her eyes. Her look was one of…pity, sympathy…and was it…caring? "Alex, Welcome to your new life…."


	3. One Month

Alex looked himself over in the full-length mirror in disgust. His fair hair had been dyed black, he was wearing green-tinted contacts, and his hair had been spiked. He looked like a messed-up version of Harry Potter. Every possible thing except for Botox and plastic surgery had been done to him. The result was horrible, yet beautiful. Beautiful in the way that no one would ever recognize him, and horrible in the way that he looked like some Daniel Radcliffe wannabe. His disgust must have shown on his face, because Mrs. Jones remarked "Be grateful for the black hair. Alan was considering a nice bright orange, but I managed to convince him that you looked too dark to be a redhead."

Alex frowned, "I look like an overgrown version of Harry Potter."

Mrs. Jones smiled in amusement, "Well Mr. Potter, it's time to meet your new muggle grandparents, so you can hide from You-Know-Who."

Alex stared at her, startled at the sarcasm in the second-in-command's voice.

The smile slid off of Mrs. Jones face," That was a joke Alex. You've got to relax. You've just recovered from a bullet wound and your grandparents are coming to get you. Nothing to be nervous about…you should be ecstatic."

As if on cue, and Alex suspected they were, an old man and woman were ushered into the room. The old woman, who had loving hazel eyes, and curly white hair rushed to him, folding him in an embrace. The old man followed, "Alex Rider, or should I say Eric Ledel. Nice to meet you! You have quite a reputation!" exclaimed the old man.

Alex sighed. Did everyone know about this so-called reputation except for himself? Mrs. Jones leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Former agents Lila O'shien, and Robert Brownling. Don't worry Alex, they'll take excellent care of you until this is all over."

Mrs. Jones looked genuinely sad, as Alex left with the old couple. Did she know something he didn't wondered Alex, a sense of foreboding welling up inside him. Alex turned his attention back to Brownling, or Stuart, who was talking excitedly about the new flat that they had bought, and how happy they were that he could finally see it now that he was out of the hospital. The old couple seemed alright. Much better than the billionaire Friend family that he had had to stay with for a week months ago.

Looking down at the hospital, the observer tensed. Someone was exiting the hospital. The observer looked down to see an old couple walking with a teenaged boy. The boy looked nothing like the target, but the MI6 were expert at disguises. The observer took a picture of the boy. The computer back at base would run a scan to check the skull of the boy and the target. The observer continued to watch the couple and the boy, never noticing the ambulance that had just silently left the hospital property.

Alex Rider had already spent a month with the old couple, in Bristol posing as Eric Ledel. One Month. The old couple was not a problem. They were genuinely nice, and Alex found himself enjoying their company. Alex was even more surprised that the two were actually married. As Stuart had put it, a spark of romance had begun when the two had been partnered on several operations for the MI6 in the past. Alex was temporarily reminded of another two agents, but he swept the thought out of his mind. Troy and Carver were long dead.

For one long month Alex had lived in Bristol, attended school, and even joined the soccer team as Eric Ledel. Months ago, this normal life would have appealed to Alex, but now, he found himself wishing it away, pining secretly in his heart for the moment that he could emerge from hiding. However, one month was a long time, and Alex had managed to convince himself that he would be in hiding for the rest of his life when he received a call from Mrs. Jones.

"Alex?" Mrs. Jones sounded slightly breathless.

Alex's heart leaped, if it was now safe to call him Alex over a phone….

"Alex? I have good news and bad news…" Mrs. Jones sounded a bit sad and awkward now…uh-oh thought Alex

"Alex, it's safe for you to come out of hiding now…but something else came up, we need you again…come over to the Bristol office right away, we'll talk about it more there."


	4. Picasso

Hey people! I want to thank everyone that reviewed which is so far only two people…Julia and Honey…umm…sorry forgot the pen name, but Naomi, right? And for the thing about longer chapters, I tend to keep my chapters short so readers won't get eyesore…

**Warning:** If you had not read SCORPIA the fifth Alex Rider book yet there will be spoilers ahead…actually there were already spoilers…sorry, my bad for not mentioning this earlier. For you Americans out there, SCORPIA will be out in the United States in…I'd say around April of 2005….yes…it is slow by one year in the United States (screw Borders and Barnes & Nobles) You can order SCORPIA on Amazon.uk

Alex Rider stared gloomily at the building in front of him. Creatively labeled Mansions & Flats it was supposedly a real estate company, but was in fact the Bristol headquarters for MI6. The agent with the typical reflective sunglasses ushered Alex in, through the back, and down a set of old, rickety stairs into the headquarters, which, curiously enough, looked almost identical to the ones in London. They walked down the long hallway, and the agent opened the door, motioning Alex to follow him. Grudgingly, Alex walked up to the door, and found himself face to face once more with: Alan Blunt.

The surviving members of SCORPIA sat down for a meeting. The numbers of the original founders had dwindled to a mere six. Julia Rothman had suffered her fiery fate a month ago, Max Grendel had been murdered by Rothman, and Levi Kroll's gun had gone off unexpectedly in the night for the second time, and Kroll wasn't as lucky this time.

Dr. Three was in charge this time. His face was blank, emotionless, and his tone was cold. "Invisible Sword was the worst disaster that SCORPIA has suffered in its history. Let it be the last," Dr. Three paused, and swept his icy gaze about the room, "Fortunately, our client from the Middle East has willingly gave us another chance at our original assignment…however he made it clear it was our last chance. We are also expected to return a third of our original payment to him." Dr. Three clenched his teeth, "Unfortunately, there is no one alive left to blame in this embarrassing failure. Rothman and Nile are both dead, and Alex Rider had been confirmed dead also."

At this point, the black man with Japanese eyes and a diamond the size of a pea embedded into his front tooth spoke up, "I am curious to know, Dr. Three, how we have been able to confirm the death of John Rider's son. Certainly, MI6 are no amateurs in faking the deaths of people. Take John Rider for example, and two of our targets years ago. I have also been through the boy's records. He was able to fake his death once and lead a surprise attack on a certain Dr. Grief."

Dr. Three nodded. "All precautions had been taken, Mr. Mikato. Our young, inexperienced, and now dead sniper had confirmed that he saw the boy go down. Hospital records showed that the bullet had punctured the heart, and the boy was dead on arrival. Alex Rider was cremated, but his ashes were dug up by our specialists, and matched his DNA. Since John Rider had died in a plane crash, those could not have been his ashes. All likely suspects exiting the hospital that Rider had been taken to had been taped or photographed, and none of their skeletal structures had matched Rider's. I personally walked through the hospital and saw no signs of extra security personnel."

Dr. Three looked over at Mikato, who nodded his approval. "Our next project, that I have liberally nicknamed: Picasso, will proceed immediately. The targets this time shall be the American and British soldiers that are stationed in Iraq. Unlike Invisible Sword, Picasso will not be separated into phases. No warning will be sent to either the Brits or the Americans. "Dr. Three scanned the room for objections. There were none. "All the equipment is ready, and we shall begin to see the results in…oh…I'll say three days."


	5. The Meeting

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Alex Rider or any of the characters in the Alex Rider series.

OMG!!! Thank you for the reviews everyone: Siren of Hell, Honey Nut Loop, Yasmine, and Elf Princess Claire (thank u especially for the release date!!!!) anime style starry eyes I'll try to keep up with all the suggestions and for don't worry, Jack will appear once more later on in the story. As for Alex's appearance, he'll be able to change it later on…:D

I'M SORRY PEOPLE IF THIS CHAPTER KINDA SUCKS…I JUST CAME BACK FROM VACATION AND I'M TIRED…..I PROMISE TO WRITE BETTER NEXT TIME…..

As usual, the head of MI6 gave no sign that he noticed Alex, but rather continued to study the papers on his desk. Alex sat across from Alan Blunt, inspecting the man critically once more: the usual gray suit, gray hair, and the clammy fake looking skin…maybe a gray heart, too. Alex thought about suggesting that Blunt get gray-rimmed glasses, too, but Blunt opened his mouth first.

"Hello Alex." Said the man, he looked exhausted.

By way of response, Alex told Blunt what he could to with himself. Blunt ignored the insult. There was a moment's silence.

"Where's Mrs. Jones" asked Alex. For once, the second-in-command was not around.

"She," Blunt coughed, "She umm…stated very strongly that she would not hear of using you again."

For a moment, Alex felt grateful towards the woman. She understood enough to leave him alone.

"Look, Alex, I know you don't want to be here, and you know how I feel about having to use you. We tried not to involve you, but we already lost an agent, and you might just be our only hope." Since Alex said nothing, Blunt continued. "Alex, we have made it our priority to eliminate SCORPIA. After Invisible Sword…well, they've just gone too far. We sent in an agent to be recruited so we could learn the identities of the leaders, but we lost contact with the agent a week ago. We think he may be dead. That's where you come in—"

"NO." Alex glared at Blunt. The man had made him suffer enough. "NO. You people aren't going to use me again. I won't do whatever you're going to make me do. Anyway, SCORPIA will just try to kill me again, if they hadn't already done it. What---"

"Alex, just hear me out okay? You were able to outsmart SCORPIA Alex, and they respect you because of that. If you were able to convince them that---"

"WHAT? SO THEY CAN TRY TO KILL ME AGAIN? DID YOU KNOW THAT THEY INJECTED ME WITH THE BLOODY NANOSHELLS, TOO? EVEN IF I MANAGED TO CONVINCE THEM THAT I WANT TO JOIN THEM, THEY WOULD ONLY USE AND MANIPULATE ME LIKE YOU PEOPLE!!!!!!!" Alex stopped. He hadn't realized he had been yelling. Oh well, it was time someone yelled at Blunt anyway. Alex turned to look at Blunt. The man looked tired and defeated…could it be that he was out of methods to want to drag him into this? Alex doubted that the head of MI6 would be that desperate…perhaps there was a reason, but whatever it was, Alex didn't want to hear it. He turned to Blunt.

"I've told you enough blastin' times. All I want is to be a normal schoolboy, and play soccer. Even if I have to use the name of Eric Ledel---"

"Alex, we can take it away. We can take everything away. You already know that...but if you just help us…"Blunt faltered.

"You know what Mr. Blunt?" Alex got up to leave," Even some grim institution is better than working for you people."

Alex got to the doorway, and gave Blunt a few more words that would have made a nun faint. He began walking down the hall towards the stairs and no one stopped him. Alex put his foot on the first step, and felt someone behind him. He turned to see Mrs. Jones.

"Alex?" Jones looked as tired as her superior, "You're leaving already? I heard the argument…Perhaps you would like to come to my office for a cup of tea?"

Alex looked at the woman suspiciously. "Is this another attempt to manipulate me into working with you?"

Mrs. Jones smiled warily. "No…well perhaps...but all you will need to do is listen, and I won't force anything on you. Perhaps you'd also like to know more about SCORPIA?"

Alex shrugged. He _was_ curious About SCORPIA. _What the heck, free food, _he thought and turned to follow Mrs. Jones.

**A/N: Since the break won't work no matter how hard I try, I will do this from now on. Sorry it's stupid, but I'm a comp idiot, it's the best I can do. **

**Different scene below**

This was her first time working for SCORPIA, but she was not nervous. Wearing a neat, clean, uniform and a cap on her dyed blond hair, all she had had to do was stroll inside the military complex. Nobody even took a second glance at her. So much for the tighter security that the American president had promised, she thought in amusement. She entered the room where the Christmas packages for the American troops were being kept. She already knew which one to go to. Carefully, she removed the Christmas wrapping, and made the exchange.

_Sabotage. _


	6. A Wolf's death and a Truth Revealed

OMG!!! I am so very sorry!!! It seems that my sources were incorrect and book six: Ark Angel may not be a prequel after all. Btw, you can pre-order book six off of Amazon.uk…kind of expensive though, after shipping it's around 24 U.S. dollars. My mom won't let me get it….life sucks….

Anyways, thank you so much for the reviews, Cereal Box (hope u won't mind the nickname, Honey Nut Loop) and Bacon! About the breaks…well…I did add one when I typed chapter 5 on Microsoft…I guess it disappeared when I uploaded it. I'll be working on it!

**From Cornwall to Cuba, Venice to France, Alex Rider has traveled far and wide as a spy for MI6, facing danger and death at every turn. But in his last mission, fighting the criminal organization, Scorpia, Alex appeared to have finally met his match. In the thrilling sequel to "Scorpia", find out the answer to the question on everyone's lips - "Will Alex Rider live to fight another day?"**

That's the "summary" Amazon gave Ark Angel. Now for the fanfic:

There was an awkward silence in the room as Mrs. Jones poured some tea into two paper cups and handed one to Alex. Alex surveyed the nasty looking, and bad-smelling contents. For a moment he wondered if the cheap tea may have been poisoned. As if reading his thoughts, Mrs. Jones gave him a wry smile and assured him that the contents were not drugged in any way. Another silence filled the room. Finally, Mrs. Jones spoke.

"Alex," she began," You probably already know this, from what Blunt had told you, that Scorpia is proving to be quite…well, they are living up to their name. We have sent in an agent, but they have outsmarted us, and possibly eliminated that agent. He was one of our best too, and almost as experienced as you. We had left Scorpia alone for too long, and now, as Blunt believes, YOU are the only way we can eradicate Scorpia."

"The last time I saw Blunt he seemed rather desperate…or mad…" muttered Alex.

Mrs. Jones did not respond, but started unwrapping another peppermint, avoiding Alex's gaze.

"I've already told you guys" said Alex, "that I don't want to work for you. I'm just curious about Scorpia."

Mrs. Jones sighed.

"Even we don't have extensive files on Scorpia, Alex. Most of the information we have from them come from your father. Scorpia, we believe, was started sometime before the end of the Cold War in the 80s. Originally, there were twelve founders, around half of them are alive today. You already know what Scorpia stands for, right?" Mrs. Jones glanced at Alex, who nodded.

Mrs. Jones continued. "Again, the MI6 is unclear at how much damage Scorpia has done exactly over the past two decades. We know they have corrupted governments and killed many, but the details are unclear…and classified. Many times, we have attempted to plant agents into Scorpia's midst to gather information from them, and destroy them. These agents include your father, John Rider, and three others, Garek Mitanso, Florence Kippering, and the agent that was sent weeks ago. Unfortunately, all four are dead."

"I don't understand. Why didn't the MI6 try to eliminate Scorpia earlier when they were weaker and more unstable? Why don't you people just bomb the training center on Malagosto?" Alex asked, unable to keep the interest out of his voice.

"We planted the agents as an attempt to stop Scorpia. You already know how slow MI6 can act, Alex. The heads of Scorpia were all incredibly wealthy people who had power, so we couldn't arrest them. There was never even ENOUGH evidence gathered to know all their identities, or to accuse them. As for Malagosto, it would be a terrible scandal to destroy it. The Italian government knows what it's used for, of course, but even they can't bomb it without reason. There would be, as always, an enormous outcry from the public. From what you told us about the training center, the controllers of Scorpia are rarely there anyway."

"Who's the agent that was sent in two weeks ago?" inquired Alex. "Why won't you mention his name?"

The second-in-command would not look at Alex. "The agent's name was David Hyndling. You may know him better as Wolf."

**Dammit!! Why won't the damn breaks just upload onto the website with the fanfic!!!! Different scene below**

There was a knock on the door. Dr. Three looked up and frowned. "Enter" he commanded. Gordon Ross, the technical and shooting instructor from Malagosto entered. He seemed a bit intimidated by Dr. Three, but showed no other signs of fear, nervousness, or emotion. In his hands he held some files.

"I have some bad news. Our satellite has just discovered that Alex Rider is still very much alive." Ross said, grimly.

Dr. Three's eyes narrowed. "WHAT?" he shouted. Ross backed up a few inches, Dr. Three seemed furious enough to kill a man, and Dr. Three knew how to make death quick…and painful. Hurriedly, Ross dropped the files onto Dr. Three's desk. The papers spilled out, the top layers had pictures showing a slightly-built boy with dark hair and green eyes entering a building, and some bone analysis results.

"The picture was taken by the Satellite this morning. The boy was entering the Bristol headquarters of MI6. We enlarged the picture and Steiner performed some bone analysis. Possibility of error is at 98, but we are pretty sure it's Alex Rider."

Dr. Three shifted through the files, and tossed them back at Ross.

"Unfortunately, 98 isn't good enough Mr. Ross. Please contact me once again when you are 100 sure."

Ross nodded and exited the room. Fast.

Dr. Three picked up a cell phone. It contained only one button, and he pressed it.

**Dammit!! Why won't the damn breaks just upload onto the website with the fanfic!!!! Different scene below**

Alex felt slightly numb. _Wolf_. It was true the man had made hell even worse than him before, but Wolf had also saved his life…and Alex had saved Wolf's career. Anger simmered though Alex mixed with small bits of grief.

"Why did you send him?" he demanded, "Weren't the three other agents good enough?! How many lives does it take to show you people that the method you were trying DOESN'T WORK?"

Alex stopped yelling. His throat hurt. He wasn't going to waste anymore of his precious breath or energy on these people. He tried some of the tea. _Urgh._

Mrs. Jones remained silent. She had been the one to send the man to his death, like so many others. The hush was broken by Alex, who cursed under his breath…and did it again, just because it made him feel slightly better. He thought about getting up to leave, but his curiosity kept him glued to the uncomfortable chair. Alex changed the subject.

"What happened to your children?" Alex asked. He had given up on politeness.

Mrs. Jones flinched, but he didn't care. The woman deserved it.

"You saw the picture…in my apartment."

Alex nodded. "Blunt said they were taken."

Mrs. Jones flinched again. "I'm surprised he told you that much."

Alex said nothing, but looked at the woman expectantly.

"My children…" she faltered, the subject was obviously hard for her to bring up, "Samuel was seven, and Eileen was five when it happened. I wasn't home that day. I was at work. By that time, I was already working for MI6, and rising in the ranks. I was commanding a project called: Horizon, involving some terrorists. They….they found out where I lived and went to my house…the house I lived in back then. They killed my husband, and took my Samuel and Eileen hostage. The MI6 tried their best to free them, but they wouldn't tell me what was happening, what the terrorists were demanding. In the end…in the end, they…killed Samuel and Eileen…and videotaped it. They were…tortured to death…" Her voice cracked.

Alex felt a little guilty. He didn't think it would be that bad. He opened his mouth to murmur something about how sorry he was, but what came out was: "Do you think the terrorists were linked to Scorpia?"

Mrs. Jones looked up at him, her eyes were sad; they met his. Her eyes became blank again, a dark abyss of….Alex didn't know of what.

"It is possible, and that was a suspicion. We never found any proof either. Nor were the terrorists responsible for this ever brought to justice." Her voice sounded strangely bitter.

Alex was disgusted. Not just from the fate of her children, but at Mrs. Jones herself.

"How can you still WORK for them?!" he demanded. He met the woman's dark eyes. Grief vibrated from them, and also determination…but no shame.

"MI6 tried their best…I'm sure they did. I had no other life left. How else could I hunt down my family's killers? What better way to track them down, but remain working for MI6?"

Alex sprang up, and sprinted for the exit. He did not stop until he was far, far away from the headquarters. _Sick,_ this is what this world and the people in it were, he thought. _Sick_.

**Dammit!! Why won't the damn breaks just upload onto the website with the fanfic!!!! Different scene below**

An emergency meeting was taking place. The heads of Scorpia were all silent in thought. Picasso was going as planned, but the discovery of Alex Rider was most disturbing, _most_ disturbing. Finally, a bald man with a rather comical looking goatee spoke.

"Lure the Rider boy here. We will make him pay for what he had done, and if the timing is right, let him watch the results of Picasso."

Dr. Three smiled. "An excellent idea Mr. Kowalski. In fact, why not let Rider experience Picasso first hand before I lay my hands on him? He will be the key to the destruction of…the MI6 or the CIA…."


	7. Captured

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Alex Rider or any of the characters in the series. Don't sue me Mr. Horowitz because I am a totally devoted fan, and I'm selling half of my worldly possessions so I can afford to buy your 6th book: Ark Angel. God knows what I'll have to sell maybe my bike to be able to afford the 7th book!

Thanks for the reviews Xarilyn and Honey Nut Loop!!!! About Alex's character…well…it's kind of hard to put him in character for me because I'm not very sarcastic so it's kind of hard to have the responses…sorry!!! And about the breaks…well I make them and they show up in the preview so I don't know what happens to them when they show up on the fanfic. Sorry about that!

**Readers:** Please review to me and tell me whether you want Alex to **die** in the end or **not**!!! All votes count and I'll try to end this fanfic by chapter 9 or 10 by writing longer chapters!!! Please review and tell me because I can't write chapter 8 until I know whether you people want Alex dead or not.

"_Christmastime in Iraq. How strange it was to be "celebrating" a holiday in a war-torn country when a bomb could land on all of us any moment_," thought Private Jonathon Green as he sifted through his small stack of presents. The presents had obviously been opened and checked, and the cards had probably been read, too, but at least they had arrived on time. Green opened the present sent by his little sister Natalie. _Sweet_! It was a video of _Resident Evil: Apocalypse_, the movie he had desperately wanted to watch, but couldn't because he had been shipped off to Iraq. Thankfully, there was a TV and a cassette player in the house they were occupying with the British soldiers. Since he was not on any kind of duty, Green called a couple of friends over, and together they settled themselves in front of the TV and popped in the tape, anxious to watch the movie before they were called on duty.

Green pressed play.

He was wondering whether the video was somehow broken when several things popped into his mind:

_Destroy the video. Kill the Brits. _

Jonathon Green and his friends got up to follow the instructions.

**Different scene…if anyone knows how I can add the breaks I'd love to know. Don't tell me "preview" because it takes the piece of I call a computer around half an hour to finish loading the preview…and when it's finally done, it freezes.**

He was sure it was Scorpia. No other terrorist cell could be capable of such a…atrocity. Alex glanced at the headline again; just to be sure his eyes were not tricking him.

**Widespread massacre of British soldiers in Iraq shock the world!!!! **

Camp York-Iraq: In Camp York, the encampment where a number of British and American soldiers were spending their Christmas, a bloodbath occurred on Christmas Day when a number of American soldiers brutally massacred the British soldiers. The same scene was repeated in other encampments all over Iraq where the British and American soldiers had been sharing camp and sharing a holiday. Outraged British officials have been demanding an explanation for the extreme acts of violence, but no American officials have yet given any public statements. American marines questioned claimed to have no memory of committing any acts of violence. Meanwhile, the death tolls….

Alex felt a bit sick. _Assassination_, he thought. He was angry, but this had nothing to do with him. Nothing at all, he chided himself. For once, maybe he could act like a normal schoolboy: gasp over the deaths, but do nothing about it. Ignore it. But like a fly buzzing beneath his ear, a little voice inside him spoke: _Is that what you want Alex? To do nothing?_

**Different scene below**

Alan Blunt found himself sitting in his usual seat watching politicians bicker once more at a COBRA. The minister of justice and the minister of foreign affairs were yelling at each other over the table, with the Prime Minister looking increasingly bewildered at the head of the table as he struggled to listen to both.

"I'm telling you, we should have pulled the troops out of Iraq long ago. _Now_ you want to pull them out?! Look what the Americans have done! There are NO troops left to pull out. I say we break it off with the Americans! We're better off without them!!" bellowed the minister of justice.

"Why can't you be patient and wait to see what the Americans will say? They…well…they might have an explanation! The Americans have been our allies since the beginning of time. We will let them know our anger, but refrain from withdrawing our troops and our alliance until we hear what they have to say! "Retorted the minister of foreign affairs, his whole face turning red with anger.

"Say? I don't give a bloody hell what they'll say! They already showed us once before they wouldn't help us during the Invisible Sword crisis! You…You want to HEAR what they have to SAY?!"

At that moment, something clicked in Blunt's head. He was not a spymaster for nothing.

"Scorpia did this." He said quietly, and a hush fell over the meeting room. "Scorpia did this. " Blunt said again, "I'm sure it was their doing. Look at it this way, gentlemen. During Invisible Sword, they had us outraged at the Americans. Right now, they have us doing it again." Blunt gravely met the eyes of all those at the table. "Many hate us and even more hate the Americans. Suppose this was a plan to break up the alliance between the two countries?"

"Why would Scorpia want to do that?" asked the Prime Minister.

"Most likely, they were paid to." Responded Blunt.

"Now how would they do it?" demanded the minister of Justice. "How could Scorpia somehow control the minds of the American soldiers? That's just impossible!"

"We all thought Invisible Sword was impossible."

Another silence filled the room. "What do you propose we do, Alan?" asked the Prime Minister.

Blunt was silent for a second. "We do the opposite of what is expected. We team up with the CIA. One agency can't take out Scorpia, but maybe two can."

Another silence, and then the Minister of Internal affairs leaped up from his seat, his mouth twisted in a furious snarl.

"TEAM UP with the CIA? Are you mad, Blunt? Do you know what kind of affect this will have on the public? A bunch of effing American soldiers just murdered a score of British soldiers! You think the public will just accept the fact that WE will team up with the CIA? That's like consorting with the enemy right now! What will you tell the public if we team up with the CIA?"

"The truth."

"Oh yes, Mr. Blunt! The truth, yes. The public will just accept the fact that there is a secret organization of crime they never heard of called Scorpia that has been trying to break up the American-British alliance, an idea which is absolutely absurd by the way, and has somehow controlled the American soldiers, telling them to kill our men. Oh, did I mention that your children almost got killed earlier by this Scorpia? Yes, "the Minister of Internal Affairs laughed mirthlessly, "That will be a great explanation Blunt! The people of England will take that so much better than the fact that American soldiers drunk too much, and committed the acts as they were drunk, which is what I think the truth, by the way!"

The table erupted as the politicians at the table began to bicker once more. The Prime Minister sent Blunt a stern look, and wordlessly, Blunt left the room.

** Change of scenes**

Alex Rider's head spun as he strained is mind, running down lists of people he knew. None of them were possibilities. He read the mysterious note again:

Alex,

The American soldiers were naughty and got something DIFFERENT from Santa!A friend

Whoever wrote him the note certainly knew about his involvement with MI6, or they wouldn't have gave him this…tip, if that's what it was. That shortened the list to: Jack, but she was now back in the States, with the assumption that he was dead, Tom and Jerry Harris, who thought the same, Mrs. Jones, Alan Blunt, and perhaps Smithers, Alex's only ally at MI6, and Scorpia, who should be thinking that Alex was dead. Suppose Scorpia had….no, though Alex, all precautions had been taken. He had even had to leave the hospital sitting in an ambulance_. If Scorpia had found you_, Alex told himself, _you would be dead right now_. Alex thought about giving the note to Brownling and O'shien. They could give it to the MI6 for him. Yes, that is what he would do. Alex hurriedly entered the house, trying to keep down the little voice that was buzzing inside his head, calling for him to do more than that.

**Scene Change :D**

"Has Alex Rider responded to our little message yet?" inquired a man who was the most ordinary looking person at the table of masterminds.

Dr. Three frowned. "I'm afraid not, Monsieur Mione. If he chooses not to act, we may have to take him by force."

Mr. Mikato spoke up. "I spoke with Yassen about the boy before his tragic death. The boy seemed to have been recruited against his own will. Rider may not have taken much action regarding the note, but no doubt he will be disturbed by it. Curiosity and meddling are in his blood. I could bet the diamond on my tooth that he will go for a walk, to ponder the contents of the note, its origins. He will be tempted to take action…perhaps we were to slip him a little more something…"

"Or we could just grab the boy off the street. It would save us a load of time," Growled Kowalski.

The two men started to bicker, but the Australian held up his hand and spoke. One hour later, a plan was formed. Alex Rider would be in the clutches of Scorpia soon.

**Scene Change :D**

The killers were in British custody. There were a lot of them. They were being interrogated. The interrogations were harsh. The British was not happy. Jonathon Green entered the interrogation room for the third time to see a new interrogator. The man reminded him more than ever of the living dead. The man was examining a small scrap of paper in his hands. He didn't look up until Jonathon sat down on the hard wooden bench. The man's eyes bore into him.

"Mr. Green, I suppose?"

Jonathon nodded and resisted a shudder. The man's voice was emotionless. Perhaps he _was_ the living dead.

"I already told the other interrogators. I don't remember anything, just all of a sudden realize that I was---"

"Mr. Green, what did you get for Christmas?" the man interrupted.

The question threw Jonathon completely off guard. "Well….uh…" Jonathon began listing the few items he received. When he was finished, the man dismissed him.

**Scene change**

Alex couldn't get his head to clear. His "grandparents" had given Blunt the note, and were as confused as he. He went out for a walk. It was early morning and the fresh, still unpolluted air felt good. As he wandered absently among the early morning throng, Alex sensed that something was wrong. The instinct that made him such a good spy suddenly clicked on. Casually he looked behind him. There in the crowds, was a man Alex was sure he had seen at the Widow's Palace. Hoping he was mistaken, Alex took a sharp right, and wandered into a bookshop. The man was right behind him. _Uh-oh_. Although it was the last place Alex wanted to go, it was his only chance. The Bristol headquarters for MI6 was only about three blocks away. Alex strolled along the anime section of the shop, looking for a way to leave without the man's notice. There along the cookbooks were a herd of teenagers, gossiping loudly. They were right next to the path that led to the back door. Alex strolled purposefully towards the teenagers, catching one of them in the eye and waving. Confused, the teenager waved back. The group was now closer to the backdoor than ever. Alex went up to them, through their group and opened the door. A siren began to wail. _Shit_, thought Alex. The backdoor was actually an unmarked emergency exit. _Opening the door will sound the alarm._ Alex broke into a run, aware that the man had followed. Alex scanned the area. He was two blocks away, but save a few shops there was nowhere to hide. His only hope was that someone would spot a child being chased by a man and call the police. Alex made a sharp left turn, circled around, and crossed the street with a throng of Japanese tourists. Had he lost the man? Alex scanned the crowd, and saw him. He also saw a black Rolls Royce with shaded windows only a few meters away.

Cursing under his breath, Alex stayed with the Japanese tourists for a while, hoping that his dark hair would conceal him for a while. He was one block away. He could no longer see his pursuer or the Rolls Royce. Alex left the tourists and crossed the street. He was half a block away now, walking slowly so he won't attract any attention. Something whizzed by his head, and Alex saw the spark the object formed as it hit a metal pole nearby. They were _shooting_ at him; in a _crowd_. Alex ducked into a crowded Chinese restaurant, remembering something he had learned about safety in numbers. As he looked around desperately for a phone, someone grabbed his shoulder, and stuck something against his stomach. It was an Asian woman. She bent down and whispered into his ear:

"Hello Alex Rider. I suggest you do what I say because I have a gun against your stomach. If you don't, I will fire the gun, and it will be a long, painful death for you as your own stomach acids leak out and eat away your internal organs. Also, we have someone watching the agents assigned to play your grandparents. You make a stupid mistake Alex, and the street you were living on will be blown to smithereens. Do I make myself clear?"

Alex nodded. The woman steered him to the Rolls Royce. Upon entering the car, Alex found himself blindfolded and bound tightly. Something sharp jabbed him in his right arm: A hypodermic needle.

As he struggled to stay conscious, Alex gasped, "What do you want from me?"

He felt the woman lift touch cheek.

"I want nothing from you Alex, but Scorpia does."

Alex opened his mouth with a retort, but darkness overtook him.


	8. Dr Three

Thanks for the review and vote Honey Nut Loop! I can update fast right now only because its break and I have no life and have nothing else to do but type up ficcys. This will be a short chapter because I still don't have enough votes to form a conclusion. However, from the previous reviews, I'd say that very little of you want Alex to die for real…

Blunt surveyed the list, feeling a bit disturbed. He reached across the desk and pressed a button. Moments later, an important looking man in an army uniform entered. He saluted.

"Yes, Mr. Blunt?" Enquired Brigadier General Matthew Gale.

"I have completed the interviews." said Blunt, handing Gale a stack of papers and a list.

Gale examined the papers and frowned. "Interesting" he murmured ,"It seems that every one of the killers received either videos or DVDs."

**He-He scene change!!! :B**

Alex groaned and tried to clear his head. He opened his eyes to see only faint blurs. He could hear sounds and voices, but not words. His "grandparents" must be up already, he decided. Alex was in the midst of wondering why his bed had become so hard when he started to remember. A chase...capture…the Asian woman…Alex opened his eyes again, this time to see that he was tied to a chair, with an Asian man in front of him. _Scorpia_.

The Asian man strolled up to Alex. "Hello Alex Rider." The man put his hand on Alex's elbow. Alex felt him squeeze, and pain ricocheted through Alex's body. Alex couldn't help but cry out. The man smiled.

"That hurts, doesn't it? That is only a small taste of what you will be getting later, Alex. I happen to be the world expert on pain and torture." The man added some more pressure. Alex bit his lip to keep from making any noise. He almost blacked out from the pain.

The man gave Alex one more sadistic smile, and exited the room. Alex looked around, and saw, to his horror, that inside the room were various machines and equipment that seemed to have come directly from a torture chamber. The man came back, wearing white surgical gloves.

"Now Alex, for the main course."

**Sorry folks, since this is rated PG!!!! Can't show too much gory details or I'll get reported. Who wants to hear our hero scream like a little girl anyway? **

**Later…**

Alex struggled to stay conscious. He was in agony, and bleeding. He was now handcuffed to the seat of a private plane, facing the Asian man, who he now knew was called Dr. Three.

"Scorpia killed those British soldiers, didn't they? Why? How?" Alex demanded when he finally regained the ability to speak. As far as Alex knew, there was no escape route from the plane, but it was best to keep Dr. Three talking. The man was a sadist, and as far as Alex knew, crazy. From experience, Alex knew that lunatic villains almost always enjoyed sharing their plans. Dr. Three, however, merely seemed amused.

"Do you really think I would let you know my plans when there is still a risk that you might escape? I am not as stupid as Herod Sayle, Alexis Sarov, or any of the other men you have…outsmarted, Alex."

Alex did not respond. It was stupid to make smart comments around this person. The flight continued in silence, and several times, Dr. Three decided to "weaken" Alex a bit more. They landed, but remained on the plane. Dr. Three turned to Alex.

"Scorpia did not kill those men, Alex. We merely triggered their deaths. Just like how AIDS does not kill anyone, but the diseases caused by AIDS causes the death. Why? Even you can answer that question, Alex. We are paid to do what we do. As far as I know, money _is _everything. How? You are just about to experience first hand now, Alex, how Picasso works."

"Have you ever heard of subliminal messaging?"

Alex tried to shake his head, and then grimaced in pain. He was pretty sure he was bleeding internally, and probably mortally wounded from the torture he had received.

"I thought not. Subliminal messaging has to do with the mind, the human consciousness. A few years ago, a professor at MIT discovered through experimentation that certain patterns of light and color could be used to send messages to the human brain, controlling one's sub-consciousness. We, Scorpia, were able to buy his experimentation results before they were presented to the United States government, with a little persuasion. We then replaced some of the presents sent to the American soldiers with videos, or DVDs."

"Why?" gasped Alex.

"Now, Alex, didn't I just answer that question? Money was the reason for that one, and now, we intend to have you destroy MI6. They have become a nuisance in their futile quest to eliminate Scorpia."

A television popped out of nowhere, and Alex caught sight of some bright colors and lines before he could close his eyes. All of a sudden, he felt the urge to kill, to destroy.

_Kill everyone in the building. Starting with Alan Blunt. _

He was bound and blindfolded.

**Scene changy!!!**

Alan Blunt and Mrs. Jones sat in the office of Blunt at the London MI6 headquarters. Mrs. Jones looked glum. She spoke:

"Alan, we just received news that Alex Rider has gone missing. Agents O'shien and Brownling are dead, the house was destroyed."

Blunt did not look happy.

"I suppose Scorpia got him?"

"Yes, but we can't be sure."

Blunt was silent a moment as he thought.

"Of course it's Scorpia, who else could have got him? They'll be sure to use him against us again. Increase the security of the building, the Palace, and is the Prime Minister still in a meeting? Increase the security there as well."

Mrs. Jones nodded, and began to leave. But Blunt stopped her.

"If Alex is armed, and if he is attacking people, don't kill him. Bring him in alive."

** Scene Change again**

Alex was released, and his blindfold was removed. Something cold was pushed into his hands, and he was shoved into a stairwell. He was at the top of Royal & General bank, the MI6 headquarters in London. Alex looked down at the gun in his hands, and started down the stairs. Down he went to the 15th floor. The hallways were surprisingly empty. Alex opened the door to Blunt's office, and raised the gun, pointing it directly at Alan Blunt, who did not seem very surprised to see him. Deep inside his own brain, Alex could only look in horror at what he was doing. True, he was not happy with MI6, but that did not mean that those who worked there deserved to die. Not even Alan Blunt or Mrs. Jones. Alex tried to stop, but found himself unable to intervene with himself. His finger began to tighten on the trigger. Alex struggled with himself once more; he forced his mouth to move.

"Leave…..now…evacuate…"

Alex fired. Blunt dodged. The bullet went speeding through the air, skimming the side of Blunt's head, and exploded into the wall of the office.

Standing on the roof of the building next to the helicopter, Dr. Three smiled at the sound. Moments later, he heard some screams. He turned to board the helicopter.

Below, Blunt watched, still strangely emotionless, as the boy seemed to struggle with himself. Blunt had activated the alarm, and security was on its way. Personnel were also running screaming into the streets, as instructed to do. Suddenly, Alex turned and ran. Temporarily in control of himself, he dashed back into the stairwell, and up to the roof. He opened the door, and growled at Dr. Three. The urge to annihilate was back, but Alex channeled it at Dr. Three. Raising the gun, Alex fired at Dr. Three. The man dodged, and headed for the helicopter. Alex charged, and managed to jump in the helicopter just as it left the building. Inside the helicopter, Dr. Three had a gun of his own. For a moment, the two were frozen there, aiming at each other, and then Dr. Three fired. Alex dove down at just the right moment, but felt a bullet graze his back as he leapt forward, and head-butted Dr. Three's stomach. The two struggled, and Alex fired the gun. It hit the pilot who had been ignoring the fight all this time straight in the head. Alex cursed, and repeated the phrase as Dr. Three struck him where the sun don't shine. The helicopter began loosing altitude wildly. Alex managed to punch Dr. Three in the nose and in the face before the helicopter turned 360 degrees, and the two struggling figures were thrown out of the open door…

**REVIEW AND TELL ME WHETHER YOU WANT ALEX TO LIVE OR DIE!!!!! I WON'T WRITE THE FINAL CHAPTER UNTIL I GET ENOUGH REVIEWS!!!!**


	9. Article

**Disclaimer: **I don't know why anyone would assume that I think I own the Alex Rider series just because I don't disclaim. I don't own the AR adventures.

Thanks for the reviews people!! If the stuff took place too fast in the last chapter, it was because I didn't want to bore you all with too many chapters, and I wanted to finish this up before break was over. This is my last day of vacation for a long, long time. . This will hopefully be the last chapter.

**MI6 Accused of Employing 14 year old Boy!**

_The London Times, London England – From various reports, and anonymous letters, the media received reports of the MI6 allegedly employing a 14-year old boy, Alex Rider, in their service. The Prime Minister refused to comment, and the head of MI6, Mr. Alan Blunt resigned today without explanation. He was followed by Mrs. Tulip Jones, the head of special operations at the MI6. Alex Rider, the son of the prestigious and infamous John Rider, was orphaned at an early age following a fatal plane crash that killed both his parents. Alex grew up with his uncle Ian Rider who died in mysterious circumstances last spring. From interviews with friends and teachers, it seems that since then the boy had started missing school for weeks at a time with no valid excuse…_

Blunt's hand crumpled the article with rage. Across from the table, Mrs. Jones only sighed. The two former spymasters were having lunch together. Blunt's usually emotionless face was more than a little red, and he was seemingly temporarily speechless with rage.

"How did they get our names?" It was a dumb question, but it was the only thing Blunt was able to say.

Mrs. Jones glanced at him. "Seeing that you appear at every press conference, it's not surprising the London Time knows your name. Still, from the amount of information they have is rather…astounding. Abnormally astounding; I think we had a leak."

Blunt thought for a moment, "Could it be Alex?"

"For all we know, Alan, the boy may be dead. He could have fallen into the Thames, along with the helicopter." Mrs. Jones did not meet Blunt's eyes.

"We both know the boy is not dead. In fact, we both have a pretty good idea where Alex is." Blunt returned to the article:

_Teachers claimed that Alex Rider returned to school each time with unexplained bruises and injuries. Anonymous reports claim that Alex Rider was involved with the mysterious disappearance of Herod Sayle and the largely unexplained Stormbreaker failures; in addition to the terrorist attack on the Prime Minister at the failed launch of the Stormbreakers. Alex's best friend at school, Tom Harris claimed that Alex had told him that Alex was indeed a spy working for the MI6 and had previously broken into a Consanto Enterprises facility based in Italy. The facility had exploded on the same day. _

"There you have it Alan, the leak." Mrs. Jones said dryly, "Alex's best friend, Tom Harris."

"I thought the boy agreed not to tell anyone."

"For God's sake, he's a teenager, Alan. He's been missing school and losing friends. He's bound to tell _someone_!"

_The Minister of Justice assured the public that this was just another hoax and the idea of a 14-year old spy was just ludicrous. However, Edward Pleasure, the author of "The Truth of Damian Cray" assures the public that he had once met the boy and that he was indeed being used against his will by the MI6. Mr. Pleasure also stated that "Alex Rider has saved countless lives, numerous times." _

Blunt threw down the article in disgust. A passing waitress gave them a curious glance, and paled when she realized who the two people sitting at table 5 were.

"It'll blow over. For once the minister of justice is right. The idea is too crazy for the public to believe. This is the kind of thing that appears only in Children's adventure novels. "

"I hope your right, Alan. The times do seem to have a lot of evidence." Muttered Mrs. Jones, scanning the remaining of the article," How are the negotiations going with the Americans?"

Blunt smiled mirthlessly. "The Prime Minister has listened to me for once. He's giving the press conference this afternoon. He won't say anything about Scorpia, of course, but he will mention the videos. I hear the American President's doing a similar thing. Before I announced my resignation, I also spoke with the CIA. They agreed to join the MI6 in hunting down Scorpia."

"It's over then?" she asked.

Blunt looked into the dark eyes of his former colleague. "Maybe."

**Scene Change**

Alex sat across from Jack Starbright on a cozy armchair in front of the fire in her house in Chicago. Jack looked up from the pile of printouts in her hands and grinned at Alex.

"This is great Alex! People are finally getting to know the truth about you and MI6!"

"Yes, but it's kind of unlikely that they'll believe it."

"Don't worry Alex, a lot of them will. The other children and teachers at Brookland will understand, and a lot of other people." Jack turned back to the article again. "Did _you _tip off the London Times, Alex?"

Alex shook his head, no. Jack frowned.

"Then who did?"

Alex smiled and handed her the printout of the e-mail he had received only just that morning.

_Alex, _

_My dear boy, I hope you are all right. After that nasty incident with Scorpia I didn't suppose I'll be seeing you again! I decided to do you a little favor since I'm about to be fired anyway. Read the Wednesday issue of the London Times. _

_Your old friend,_

_Smithers_

_P.S.) I would have made this message self-destroy, but it would have crashed the computer you were using. I was able to track you down by satellite using something I created, but destroyed right afterward (don't worry, the rest of MI6 doesn't know you survived) and you'll be receiving a gift from me in the mail, soon! _

Jack yawned and handed the message back to Alex, a smile on her face.

"Well, Alex. You'd better get to bed. We both have a long day tomorrow. My parents will get here early morning, and we're due at the courthouse at noon. If all goes well, I'll be getting a little brother tomorrow."

Jack left, and Alex stayed by the fire, replaying the incident that had happened only a few days ago. Both he and Dr. Three had tumbled out of the helicopter, towards the pavement below, but Alex had blindly reached his hand out, to meet solid metal, and then grab onto cloth. The Union Jack had saved his life again. Battered and injured, Alex had stumbled to his friend Tom Harris' house, and retrieved his passport, which Tom had been hiding for him. Alex had been surprised to find out that Jack had left her address with Tom. After contacting Jack, who was now beginning a successful career as a lawyer with the Chicago OPD, Alex found himself on a plane to Chicago, and then at Jack's house.

Alex stared at the fire which was now reduced to some glowing embers. For the first time in a while, he was content. If everything did go right tomorrow…_Alex Rider Starbright_, he thought, not _a bad name_.

**Scene Change**

The members of Scorpia were silent. They had lost another. This could not go on. They had to ensure the survival of their legacy. Alex Rider was momentarily forgotten as the masterminds began to plan.

**Scene Change**

**To**: Wilson Holdenburg, head of CIA

**From:** Joe Byrne, director of operations

**Level Alpha security clearance required. **

**Name**: Alex Rider

**Nationality**: English

**Race**: Caucasian

**Eye Color**: Brown/hazel

**Hair Color**: Blond

**Father**: John Rider

**Mother**: Helen Evenson Rider

**History**: Various operations for the MI6 after death of uncle Ian Rider: Stormbreaker incident, Point Blanc academy, worked with the CIA in the Sarov crises, revealed and defeated Damian Cray, Stopped Invisible Sword and Picasso, listed as "dead", current location suspected to be Chicago, Illinois, soon to be known as "Alex Rider Starbright"

Wil:

You may find this interesting. Alex Rider is a possible candidate for operation Schoolhouse, request permission to recruit.

Joe

**To: **Joe Byrne, Director of Operations

**From: **Wilson Holdenburg, Head of CIA

Joe:

Permission to recruit granted. Persuasion is up to you. Make sure MI6 or the Brits don't find out or they'll blow their tops.

Wil

This fanfic is copyrighted my MasterWolfie, by F.C. Lee inc. Any form of piracy will be dealt with harshly. In other words:

**If you copy my fanfic I will hunt you down!!! Do you hear me?? Hunt you DOWN!!!! **


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